1. Field of the Invention
Certain inventions disclosed herein relate to treating a carotid artery. For example, a carotid artery may have a lesion or a partial occlusion that can be treated using the methods and apparatus disclosed herein.
2. Description of the Related Art
Carotid angioplasty and stenting (CAS) is a minimally invasive approach for treating carotid stenoses. Since its introduction two decades ago, the use of CAS has steadily increased, with 8% of the 107,000 carotid procedures performed in Europe in 2001 utilizing CAS. The prospect of an outpatient procedure without the discomfort of a sizable neck incision appears to be driving patient decision making away from carotid endarterectomy, the standard procedure for carotid bifurcation disease for the past fifty years.